Hilke has always had fun but quite challenging jobs. Until she got completely stuck and didn’t want to do anything for two years. Her therapist advised her after a while: ‘Maybe volunteering is something for you?’ That’s how she ended up behind the bar at neighborhood center De Boomsspijker. “I was skeptical about this at first, but I had no other choice. Slowly but surely, I blossomed again. This even helped me to get back into a paid job!”
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A few years ago, Omar started volunteering at Prisma to boost his CV for medical school. Once a month, bowling shoes were taken out of the closet to go bowling with a friendly group of people with intellectual disabilities. In the end, medical school turned out not to be for Omar, but he still goes bowling every month: “That Wednesday is one of the most enjoyable days of my whole month!”
Expat Briony is volunteering at the Animal Shelter Amsterdam. “It brings me joy, confidence, and respect. If I didn’t use the PowerPoint presentation in my work, the world still turned around.”
During his studies, Rohan was overwhelmed by anxiety and depression. Not only did continuing his studies become impossible, at one point he couldn’t even leave the house and became isolated. He recommends anyone who is stuck in a deadlock to start doing volunteer work. “I was able to build rhythm and self-confidence at my own pace.”
When Niki Jongman (36) heard last year that she could take extra vacation days at a discounted price, she decided not to spend them on a beach. Instead, she wanted to do something ‘fun and useful.’ This led her to NDSM Treehouse, an art incubator in Amsterdam-Noord. For two weeks, she contributed to their Art Park exhibition. “I now feel more at home in the neighborhood.”

